


Thumbnail

by oddsbodkins



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Age Regression/De-Aging, F/M, Found Family, Gen, rex can't catch a break lmao
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-04
Updated: 2021-01-29
Packaged: 2021-03-14 14:21:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 15,035
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28547028
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/oddsbodkins/pseuds/oddsbodkins
Summary: Obi-Wan has made obscuring his past into something of an art form - so much so, that it takes nothing short of Force intervention and a mysterious, bullshit artefact regressing his age for some of the most important people in his life to learn someveryimportant things about him.tldr; meditation is no substitute for therapy, so sometimes you just gotta get zapped into a baby and relive all your life's trauma over the course of a month. hopefully everybody turns out the better for it.
Relationships: CC-2224 | Cody & Obi-Wan Kenobi, Obi-Wan Kenobi & Anakin Skywalker & Ahsoka Tano, Obi-Wan Kenobi & CT-7567 | Rex, Padmé Amidala/Anakin Skywalker
Comments: 52
Kudos: 290





	1. AGE 36

**Author's Note:**

> _"To summarize seems incomplete,  
>  How novel is a novel that can fit on one sheet!  
> It seems that I'm destined to fail -  
> To compress myself to the size of a thumbnail."_  
> \- "Thumbnail", Louie Zong ft. Brian David Gilbert

They had come to the planet for a relief mission, nothing more. 

The Separatists had taken over a small, insignificant planet in the Mid-Rim, and it was more the fact that they’d bothered with it at all than any real strategic importance that had sent Obi-Wan and Anakin along to investigate. Well, that, and the fact that they hadn’t gotten a real kriffing _leave_ since the beginning of the war. Obi-Wan had noticed the effect it was having on his men - the constant action, the constant loss. He’d jumped at the chance to pull Anakin and himself out of the fray, even if that was… a matter of perspective.

It turned out that there was a rather large vein of ionite close to the planet’s core. Both sides of the war had been strapped for materials, but the Separatists especially so, given how their fighting force was made of metal.

(The passing thought that they were lucky, with clone production already paid for, was met with immediate horror at the implications of such an equivalence, no matter how unintended. He shut down the whole line of thought. Now was not the time to be conflicted.)

The natural result of that discovery had been a figurative gold rush; mining corporations and assorted unsavory figures (namely, the Hutts) had been duking it out with the locals for months now. The arrival of the Separatists had put an end to that, if only because the droids shot anybody that got in their way.

And so what had appeared a simple rout turned into a middling-length campaign, the Jedi rooting out pockets of mercenaries that had been attempting to weather the storm even as the Republic troops took on the Separatists. After that there were negotiations to be had and matters of diplomacy to maneuver. The planet was sparsely inhabited, and its residents largely nomadic, but the land the mine had been built upon was managed by one clan in particular. The clan’s Leader, Corva’wynn, had become the de facto spokeswoman for the planet’s loose system of government.

And so Obi-Wan Kenobi found himself in a large tent that served as the clan’s town hall, staring down a diminutive, elderly woman as she laughed at him.

“In our interest, Jedi? I think that it is in _your_ interest, our joining the Republic. The sooner we agree, the sooner you leave, yes? The sooner you get onto more pressing matters than our tiny planet and our petty disputes.”

“There is nowhere I’d rather be.” Obi-Wan lied through his teeth.

Corva’wynn wheezed once more. Her kind had large, curving horns that with age would meet in an arc over their heads; Corva’wynn was of the age that her horns had already met and crossed, curving back down towards her vulnerable skull.

“You’re adorable. I quite like you, Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi; I hope you keep to your word and visit, when this is all done and dusted.”

“... so you _do_ intend to join the Republic?”

“Of course I do,” Corva’wynn said, eyes twinkling. “But why would I acquiesce to you, my dear Jedi, when my obstinance has netted us a famed Senator of the Republic?”

“A _Senator_? Leader, I’ve heard nothing of the -“

She cut him off with a dismissive wave of her hand. “I received a communiqué from one Padme Amidala in the late hours of the night; apparently she is nearby, and was notified of our plight by your General Skywalker. She said that she would be arriving presently.”

Of _course_ she was. The urge to strangle Anakin was sudden and all-consuming; he took a deep breath and willed it away, into the Force. How Anakin and Padme thought they were _anything_ approaching subtle was truly beyond him.

“I admit, that is a… surprise to me, but I am glad to hear it. Is there anything that we can do for you and your people, while we await the good Senator?”

Corva’wynn considered him. “Hm. We have a question - not a necessary one, but a matter of intrigue that you might enjoy.”

“And what might that be?”

“There is a temple, hidden amongst the arms of the mountains,” Corva’wynn said, tilting her head thoughtfully. “Sitting upon the shore of the bottomless lakes. It repels most supplicants; but you, Jedi, I think it might accept. Does that merit your interest?”

Obi-Wan was so taken aback that he just stared, for a moment. He hadn’t been expecting her to suggest something that actually sounded _fun_.

“I would be delighted to investigate it for you, Leader. Will my presence be needed for anything else, today?”

“No.” She curled a grin at him. “Run along now. Enjoy yourself.”

He began to protest that he’d already been enjoying himself, _of course_ , but she just laughed and waved him away.

  
  


-

“And where are _you_ headed?”

Obi-Wan turned. “Ah, Anakin, I was just looking for you. Corva’wynn has recommended a local point of interest to me - an ancient temple of sorts, with a fraught history. I am taking Ahsoka, Captain Rex, and a squad out to examine it.”

Anakin wrinkled his forehead. “You’re abandoning the negotiations? I thought you wanted to get out of here already..“

Obi-Wan gave him a sardonic smile. “Oh no, far from it. I am no longer needed, as Senator Amidala has decided to grace us with her presence. As such, I am recommending that you take over my role in the interim.”

Anakin’s face was a fascinating canvas of guilt, embarrassment, excitement, and indignation. “Padme’s coming? That’s a relief,” he said, faux casual. Then, he appeared to catch up to the conversation. “Wait, you’re taking Ahsoka and Rex, but making me stay behind and do the boring stuff?”

“Oh, I’m sure the senator will be entertainment enough.”

Anakin’s face turned bright red, and he coughed. “Yes, I, um. Will be glad to see her! She’s a good _friend_! Of mine. We are friends. Yes, I have not seen her in a while and miss her… friendship.” He rubbed the back of his neck and looked away, flustered.

Obi-Wan smirked. “Yes, I imagine that she will feel the same way. Try not to get _too_ excited.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Anakin shot him a sharp look.

Obi-Wan shrugged innocently. “All I ask is that the negotiations take priority. Like you were saying, we _do_ have a primary mission, here.”

Anakin floundered as he considered how to respond. Likely deciding discretion to be the greater part of valor, he settled with a meek, “Yes, Master,” before quickly vanishing into the bowels of the camp - before Obi-Wan could say anything else.

  
  


-

  
  


Rex wasn’t that hard to find - all Obi-Wan had to do was look for the thickest concentration of clones and follow the shouting. Ahsoka was sprawled out against some crates, watching the proceedings.

“Hard at work, Padawan?” She jumped a little at the sound of his voice right behind her, and scrambled to her feet.

“Master! I was uh, I was - Master Skywalker told me to meditate! So I was doing that.” She nodded once, as if in affirmation.

“Of course. How would you like to join me on a little excursion?”

“Out of the camp, you mean?” She was a little too eager - though they _had_ been camped out here for a while.

“Yes. We’ve been invited to investigate a local temple, up in the mountains. The trip will take us away for most of the day, perhaps overnight - can you bear to tear yourself away from your meditation?”

“ _Please_. Should I go grab Rex? I know Cody went up with the transport this morning, to check in with Admiral Yularen - “

  
  


-

Obi-Wan had to say, for all the troubles it presented, the planet was truly gorgeous. It was as of yet unnamed - it had only a designation on star charts, B9-603 - and the locals were in disagreement about what their ancestors had called it. That was another headache they’d have to overcome, one that he would happily pass along to the Senator, if he could manage it.

The area they’d set up camp in, the one near the entrance to the mines and the settlement that had sprung up around it, was situated in a great expanse of plains that dissolved from the hills and mountains they were now flying towards, and which stretched on and away until they abruptly ended in dramatic cliffs overlooking a moody sea. If the locals played their cards right, they might find a niche in eco-tourism.

But then, Obi-Wan thought to himself, they’d been doing just fine up until now. They might rather seal up the ionite mine and go back to their old ways of living, as long as the universe would allow them to, and honestly he wouldn’t blame them. 

He kind of wished he could go back to the Jedi Temple and do the same.

They crested the tops of the hills - which also might be quite good for vineyards, he noted absently - and began to weave between the peaks of the mountains, headed for the coordinates they’d been provided. The mountain valleys were packed with alpine forests and crystalline lakes, and he could see how a group of people might be lost amongst them. What was maybe an hour’s flight by transport looked like at least a week’s hike, if not a month’s.

And eventually, amidst the forests and the mountains and the lakes, there were gleaming white ruins shining up at them, perched on the edge of what looked to be a lovely beach and sparkling blue lake.

As they landed, Obi-Wan reflected on Corva’wynn’s “ _bottomless_ ” lakes. He was inclined to think it hyperbole, but if his time as a Jedi had taught him anything, it was that everything is dangerous, all of the time. As they touched down and the blast doors slid open, the surface of the nearby water was disturbed by the flick of a seemingly small, finned tail. 

He directed his men far away from the shore.

It was a beautiful day to be doing this sort of work. The air was fresh and crisp - a far, far cry from Coruscant - and the noontime sun was offset by a pleasant breeze. They set up a makeshift camp, a deployment point, and Rex began sorting out logistics. Obi-Wan considered asking Ahsoka to stay there, so that both the recon team and the base team would have a Jedi to them, but she had an unimpressed and rebellious look levelled on him before he could even get the words out. He let the matter drop.

From the air they'd seen that large parts of the temple had been beaten down by time and the elements, but the doors were still intact. They were grand: situated at the top of a flight of stairs, which were carved of the same brilliant white stone, tall and wide enough to accomodate a Walker, etched deeply with a variety of symbols and a strange, swirling motif. As he got closer, he could see that many of the details had been worn away, which was a shame. He wondered if this was the work of those ancestors that the locals had been squabbling over, or somebody else’s doing entirely.

“We ought to document this and send it back to Madam Nu,” he mused quietly; he startled, a little, when Ahoska replied.

“We should probably wait to do that until we’re off planet. With our luck, she’ll bully the Council into making us stick around another month, just to research it.” When she saw Obi-Wan’s flinch, she raised an eyebrow. “You forgot I was here, didn’t you?” she accused.

He coughed. “Of course not, Padawan. I was merely… lost in thought.” A shit-eating grin spread across her face (Anakin’s signature look) and he hurried on before she could interject. “Go fetch the holo-scanners, will you? I’ll see what I can do about these doors.”

“Sure, Master,” she said, still smirking. “Try not to get too _lost in thought_ while I’m gone.” She pivoted on a heel and strolled away. He shook his head and returned his attention to the doors.

The carvings really were quite fascinating; he could see now that in the midst of the spirals, filling in gaps or situated in their centers, were hundreds of pictographs depicting a variety of subject material. He could see the sun, stars, and the planet’s twin moons high above him, then a line of mountains lower down (which must represent the mountains they were currently in!); at his hips there was a depiction of the surface of the ocean, with what looked like an impossibly large, absolutely terrifying leviathan in its depths.

There were twin hollows at differing heights, almost like a pair of inverted doorknobs. There seemed to be carvings in these, as well - he fumbled with his backpack, trying to find a torch, then gave up and activated his lightsaber to get a better look.

These hollows had been better protected from rain and sun, so they were better preserved. He did have to clear out a bit of debris, though, leaves and an old bird’s nest. And then there, carved ever so carefully into the stone, was a figure that looked quite a bit like him.

No, it looked exactly like him. Down to the lightsaber that it was holding, angled above its head.

He glanced at his own lightsaber, and suppressed a grimace.

He had a bad feeling about this.

“Ahsoka,” he called over his shoulder, “Do you have those holoscanners, yet? I find myself in need a second opinion.”

“Coming, Master!” He extinguished his lightsaber and turned, unable to suppress his smile at how the Padawan rushed up the steps, arms laden with gear.

The smile died when she dumped it at his feet. “ _Careful_ , Ahsoka, it’s very delicate equipment - “

“Right, sorry Master,” she winced. “You said you wanted my opinion on something?”

“Well, yes,” he said with one last frown at the pile. “This carving, namely,” he said, indicating the hollow.

Ahoska had to stand on the tips of her feet to see; Obi-Wan finally dug the torch out of his pack and held it for her.

“It looks like a warrior of some kind,” she said, voice muffled by the hollow. “Maybe a Jedi. I wonder if,” she turned to face him, then froze. She stared at him, wide-eyed realization narrowed into a squint of suspicion. She looked back into the hollow, then back at him.

“No way,” she said.

“Yes way, I’m afraid.”

She turned to the other hollow, and Obi-Wan followed. This one was at the height of Ahsoka’s head, which blocked it from his sight, but at this point he didn’t really need the visual confirmation of what would be inside - Ahsoka’s recitation of an impressive string of Mando’an curses was sufficient. 

He hummed. “I agree.”

And now it was Ahsoka’s turn to startle, caught out in her own little lapse. “Though, my dear Padawan, I am most curious as to where you learned that kind of language.” He raised an eyebrow at her guilty face, then turned and sought out Captain Rex’s eye, waving when he caught it. The clone nodded at him, finishing a conversation with one of his troopers before beginning to jog over.  
  


“Can we uh, just ignore that for now, and focus on more pressing matters? Like this?” She waved at the door. “This is strange, right? It’s not like, normal for you?”

Obi-Wan laughed drily. “No, this is concerning for me as well. Captain,” he turned to Rex as the man levelled with them. “I’m afraid we may have a bit of a situation.”

The clone regarded him warily. “What kind of a _situation_ , sir?”

“There’s these weird little carvings that look exactly like us,” Ahsoka interjected cheerfully. “Look, they even got my outfit right!” She tugs him over.

Rex scratched the back of his neck as he looked into the hollow that Ahoska’s body was still partially blocking. His eyes got a little wider and his tan skin paled, then with a kind of bleak resignation, he walked over to peer into the other hollow. He looked between Obi-Wan and his carved depiction.

“How, sir?” The clone asked wearily

Obi-Wan opened his mouth, hesitated for a moment as he considered his words, then shrugged. “Force bullshit, as I believe you and your men would say.”

“ _Master!_ ”

“General, I’d never - “

“As apt a description as any,” Obi-Wan cut off the captain’s prevarication with a fond clap on the shoulder. He was pretty sure the clone was blushing, which was a fascinating reaction. Ahsoka seemed torn between scandalized and delighted. “Regardless, I am getting the feeling that this will not be so clear-cut as we originally thought.”

“Is it ever, sir?” Rex said, finally collecting himself.

“One day, Rex. One day everything will make sense and be normal again.” 

He said it dryly, like a joke. Ahsoka chuckled and turned back to the - well, he could see it now, a minuscule carving of what is undoubtedly a young Togruta - but Rex just kept looking at him. Not staring, more… examining. As if he understood how much that wasn’t a joke, so much as a desperate fucking prayer. A recitation, attempting to be manifestation.

Obi-Wan just grimaced at him and moved on.

“We’ll attempt the doors, Captain, if you and your men are ready to deploy.”

“Of course, General.” Just like that, the man’s austere, military professionalism returned, and he threw in a salute for good measure before leaving to round up the squad.

Obi-Wan took a few steps back from the doors, contemplating them. “I think the Force would be best applied here, wouldn’t you agree?” he said to Ahsoka.

She shrugged. “I mean, sure, but don’t you think we should try using the handles, first?”

“Handles?”

“Yeah. You know,” she stuck her hand into the hollow and tugged on the upper lip of it demonstratively. “Handles.”

“They’re awfully big for us to just be pulling them open.”

“Yeah, well,” she screwed her face up in thought. “I can’t help but think that this is going to be one of those weird Force places we always stumble into, and,” she gestured at the carving of her, “maybe they put these here for a reason beyond freaking us out.”

A fair point. He moved to join her. “On your mark, then.”

“Okay! One, two, three, _pull_!”

And sure enough, the door gave under his hand. It swung as easily as any of its smaller brethren might; Obi-Wan had to scramble out of the way, so that it didn't knock him over with its momentum.

Sunlight spilled into the darkened temple, and through the gloom he could make out some beautifully patterned floor tiles, most of them cracked and dirtied, but little else.

Ahsoka smirked. “What did I tell you? Weird.”

“You are certainly more masterful in this than I. Perhaps I should recommend your services to Madame Nu.” She made a face.

“I do have to wonder, though,” he continued, stroking his beard, “if it was our involvement, or if these doors would have opened for anybody. Corva’wynn said that the temple had rejected many supplicants before; now that we’re here, I wonder what she meant by that.”

“We could close them again, then have two of the men try? Maybe?”

Obi-Wan thought about it, then shook his head. “No, it’s not worth doing just to satisfy simple curiosity - especially not if there are some darker forces at play. Now come along, Padawan, let’s collect our Captain and venture into the belly of the beast. I’m sure it will be fine.”

“Okay, you’re _really_ just tempting the Force with that one.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” he laughed. It echoed strangely behind him, in the dimly-lit ruins.

-

As they progressed through the temple, cracked bits of the ceiling provided a little light. Obi-Wan could make out a whole section where an enterprising group of “supplicants” had blasted through; their rope was still there. As were a few skeletons.

One of the clones groaned lowly behind him as they came into view, and to be honest, he felt the same way.

Beyond the skeletons, it was really a beautiful structure, with sweeping arches that disappeared into a high, high ceiling. He ended up having to float a light source up to even see said ceiling, which revealed the remnants of frescos, depictions of clouds and suns and stars and moons. And there was something else there, as well, a twisting sinuous form weaving through all of it, nearly indiscernible. He wondered what religion, what gods this temple had been dedicated to.

About midway in, the floor they’d been walking on crumbled away, revealing caverns below. There was a staircase somewhere before them, but the ground between them and it seemed so unstable as to dissuade the thought of crossing it. At Obi-Wan’s pause, peering down into the depths below, Rex called for the squad to set up rappel lines.

Obi-Wan, of course, needed no rope. He was honestly tempted to just jump down - Rex always made the most interesting expressions when he pulled such an Anakin-type maneuver - but for the sake of his Captain’s blood pressure he floated a light down once more.

And down, down, down it went.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wrote this last summer and never ended up finishing it, and my philosophy at the time was that I shouldn't publish things I wasn't going to finish, as that was unfair to the readers.
> 
> Tonight I was reviewing old work (mainly to feed my ego) and I came across this and was like... damn. That's a lot of work to just let molder in a Google doc bc of like, principles or whatever. So I'm publishing it! I don't know if I'll ever finish this, but 3k words existing is better than none, right?
> 
> New year, new writing philosophies, I suppose.
> 
> Anyways, hope you enjoyed <3


	2. AGE 0

Beneath the temple were what seemed to be catacombs, storage spaces, and holy spaces, arrayed in a confusing labyrinth. Certain sections were caved in, and some seemed to be just… closed off. For no particular reason. For all that he joked with Ahsoka, at any other time this would’ve been a significant enough find for him to alert the Library and have a research expedition organized; in these days of war he wondered if it would even bear mentioning in his mission report. The mysterious ruins of ancient civilizations were fascinating, yes, but if they didn’t contain any means for more efficient mass destruction then well, they were hardly worth the bother.

That last thought made him wince a bit. Sometimes the edge to his internal tongue was so sharp that, deprived of a better target, he ended up cutting himself with it.

He hummed a song to try and distract himself, but the sound just echoed eerily in the long, dark tunnels. So instead he talked to Ahsoka.

“Have you been enjoying our vacation? I believe that you were asking for a respite - I do hope that you’ve made the most of it.”

“I was asking for a break on Coruscant, Master,” she said dryly, then paused and pulled a face. “Not that I thought I’d ever be _asking_ to spend some time stuck in the Temple. Best way to teach appreciation really is deprivation, huh?” She stepped on a bit of rubble and stumbled - he reached out to steady her, but she’d already caught herself by time he moved.

“Did you hear that one from Master Yoda? It’s a good line,” he said instead, absently peering into the latest doorway they’d passed. There was no actual door - just a stone arch with seemingly impenetrable gloom beyond it.

“You, actually,” Ahsoka said, an odd note to her voice. He turned to get a look at her expression, but her back was to him, already advancing further down the tunnel. Their men were a little ways behind, still setting up a secondary base of operations in one of the first rooms they’d found - which really just meant a room with lights, to bring anything interesting back to and mark the way out. The two Jedi had gone on ahead, with promises to not get too far away; Captain Rex, who due to longtime experience never believed them when they said things like that, trailed silently in their wake.

“Really? I don’t recall,” he mused. He could make out the outline of Ahsoka’s slim shoulders coming together in a shrug.

“It was a while ago - pretty soon after Christophsis - so I’m not surprised. I was excited to finally be out of the Temple, so I said something to that effect, and you told me not to get ahead of myself. Then you said that bit about deprivation.”

There was a pregnant pause, as Obi-Wan knew Ahsoka well enough by now to sense that she was on the verge of continuing, so he kept quiet and let her work out her thoughts.

“Master,” she began hesitantly, then paused again.

“Yes?” Obi-Wan prompted after a moment, speeding up a bit so that he drew level with the Padawan and could finally see her face.

“You said something else, then, and I just remembered it, but I guess I’m wondering if right now is a good time to bring it up.”

Obi-Wan frowned, looking around the forbidding darkness, then shrugged. “Nothing’s attacked us yet, so I would say now’s as good a time as any.” Behind them, Rex scoffed.

“Right. Well, um, it was a story, that you mentioned. You told me not to hurry into war, and I was like yeah, yeah, I know that it’s bad and all, they told me that plenty at the Temple. But then you were like… well, you said something like ‘It’s not a matter of the _morality_ of your involvement in the war, but the _necessity_ of it.’ You said you’d fought a war when you were a little younger than me so you understood my point of view, and hoped that I’d understand yours with context and experience. But you never did end up telling me how you got involved in a war so young, and I did some research, but couldn’t even figure out _what_ war you might have been fighting in, if it was twenty years ago. So I’ve been thinking about it.”

Obi-Wan stopped dead in his tracks, genuinely taken aback. That was _not_ what he thought she’d say, especially prompted by such an innocent truism.

Ahsoka had stopped too and was looking at him, wide-eyed at his reaction. He could feel Rex’s gaze boring between his shoulder blades. The tunnel seemed too small in a moment, bearing down on him, and as he closed his eyes it was as if he could hear the screams and echoes of injured moans, the scent of blasterfire and the pang of hunger, as the Young’s supplies had dwindled…

“Master?” Ahsoka’s voice was closer than before. He opened his eyes again and she was right in front of him. He hadn’t realized she’d moved.

Right. This wasn’t the time to have a meltdown.

“Ah, sorry Ahsoka, you just… took me by surprise, is all. It is a… well yes, I suppose I did say now was as good a time as any, didn’t I? A lesson in hubris for myself, rather than a lesson about appreciation for you, it would appear.”

“Um, then was now a bad time after all? I’m sorry, I’ve just been wondering, but I didn’t mean to, um, upset you - “

“It’s fine,” he waved her off. It wasn’t fine, but also - “It’s very much _not_ your fault, so don’t think that, please. Yes, we can talk about it, but excuse me if I delay even further. It’s not something I can talk about in… _tunnels_ , as we are. The, uh, the war that I was in - we spent much of it in tunnels. I’m afraid that the memories might start to blend together, and I would rather stay focused until we return to more familiar territories.”

“Oh! Ok, I’m sorry again for, um, bringing it up - “ She was cringing. He sighed.

“Really, Padawan, please don’t apologize for seeking out teaching. It’s why you’re here, after all. Very much a weakness of the teacher, in this regard, and not you, so don’t… it’s just, it’s fine. Don’t worry about it. Let’s continue on, shall we? There’s still much to explore, and our time is dwindling.” He set off briskly, hoping to spur them all to action, but after a few steps realized there was no corresponding motion from behind him. He turned around expectantly.

Ahsoka and Rex were trading looks, Ahsoka’s face anxious and unsure, Rex’s face… inscrutable, but certainly not pleased. He stifled a sigh. This was why he didn’t talk about his past with people, even the important ones. It quite ruined the mood.

They started moving again, though, without comment, which was all he could really ask for.

After a certain point the hallway that they’d touched down in connected to a large, empty atrium, which had multiple other tunnels branching out from it. True to word (and Obi-Wan made sure to note this rather pointedly, to a still-unimpressed Rex) the Jedi turned back and went to seek out their men, before they got lost in exploration.

Their approach to the varying paths was methodical. Local time was a few hours past noon, with sundown three hours hence. They intended to reach some sort of stopping point, whether that be to set up camp for the night or to pack up and head back to base, with local sunset. There were six branches of tunnels, excluding the one they had emerged from. That meant they had about thirty minutes to explore each, should they go together, or all three hours, should they split up into six different scouting groups.

Obi-Wan was, understandably, a fan of the latter idea, as it was the more efficient use of time and energy. Ahsoka agreed with him. Rex did not, on the principle that splitting forces and wandering around creepy old temples was practically _inviting_ disaster.

Obi-Wan told him he was being paranoid, but couldn’t even keep a straight face as he said it, having to turn away to hide his smile as Rex spluttered.

“ _Paranoid_ ? General, with all due respect, if I was paranoid I would’ve put my foot down about even coming down here. At this point, it’s just common sense. I mean, come on sir, _how_ many creepy old temples do we need to get jumped in before we stop splitting up in them?”

“One more, apparently,” Obi-Wan replied cheerfully, slapping the clone on the back in a companionable fashion. “Come now Rex, let’s get moving. Burning daylight and all.” 

For all that he teased the Captain, he wasn’t an idiot, and the man was right - he ended up dividing everybody into two large exploratory parties as a compromise. Rex and Ahsoka would go with the first, and he would accompany the second.

“Keep an eye on your comms, yes? It would be unfortunate if you ran into trouble and couldn’t contact help due to a lack of signal. Speaking of things we should know better about, at this point.” This last bit he tossed Rex’s way - the clone rolled his eyes expressively before pulling on his helmet. With that, they were ready to set out.

These tunnels - well, that is to say, even the atrium was different from the tunnel they’d emerged from. He took one last look around it before picking a tunnel to embark down, trying to see if there were any discernible indicators, a decoration or sign that might indicate some importance… there _was_ one tunnel with carvings around its archway, which Ahsoka had claimed the right to explore immediately upon discovery. He could sense her smugness at getting the more interesting option, even as her party moved away.

“Sir?” One of the clones said, after he remained silent and still for a moment too long. 

“Yes, we will be departing shortly. I am just trying to...” Perhaps the Force could tell him something else? He shut his eyes and let the cold, stale air and shifting, impatient men fall away, seeking a semblance of serenity.

Typically one could feel impressions in the Force, traces of the energy that all living things left behind, but here all Obi-Wan could feel was the lives of several local pests, making their dens in spots that only they could reach, and the hollow stillness of ancient, long undisturbed places.

Six tunnels, the ball of sun that was Ahsoka’s presence in the Force retreating down the marked one, with five left to choose from…

Yes, there. Second to his right. A whisper on the breeze, the scent of something interesting, a long ways out.

“Let’s try this one, shall we?” He waited and let the troopers collect themselves, snap to attention, before setting off - it was one thing to bully Ahsoka and Rex, but this group was rather new, and didn’t quite understand his sense of humor yet. He didn’t want to leave them feeling disrespected. They followed quickly and efficiently in his wake, as was to be expected. 

The typical impulse was to make conversation, part of his never-ending endeavor to break down the barrier between Jedi and clone - to shed some of his personal guilt at the dehumanization of the incredibly human troops that he commanded - but right now he kept quiet. The Force was leading him down strange paths, and he needed to be alert, should any danger come along. 

At first it was no different than the tunnel they had initially taken. Smooth stone walls vanished into the dark beyond. There were no rooms here, though. No breaks in the walls; excepting perhaps seven minutes in, where some historic stress or pressure had brought the wall to crack and water leaked through, vanishing into another crevice in the floor where it presumably fed into some underground channel. The floor was paved in stone bricks, so at least there was _some_ indication of intent to this, some sign that once upon a time people really did care to create this place - that it hadn’t just manifested here, deep in the dark underground.

After a while, a long moment, one of the clones murmured to another, and muted exclamations broke out, and Obi-Wan emerged from his thoughts to see what they had found. It was markings on the walls.

Similar to the markings on the doors above, these were… unfortunately, unnervingly familiar. In this case row upon row of small, uniform figures were carved and painted into the walls, clad in the unmistakable uniform of the GAR. Smooth panels of white plastoid composite fitted over a black body glove - in this art style, in the dim lighting of the tunnel and the minute composition of the renditions, their helmets looked almost like death masks, their ranks like a swarm of ghosts. 

The air was uneasy, amongst the exploratory party.

“Oh, well,” Obi-Wan said, breaking the tense pseudo-silence. “That is… something, hm? Marco, can you… ah, yes - good, thank you.” Marco, their usual scout who had been for this mission tasked with communications, had already retreated somewhat down the tunnel to report in. That done, Obi-Wan turned his attention back to the walls. If the clone troopers had been depicted, then surely…

“Ah,” he said. Yes, surely enough, there he was, a pale smudge in brown robes at the very front. Ahsoka’s image was missing from this particular mural, and he wondered if down the other tunnel, his companions were confronting their own diminutive doubles.

“I suppose this, at the very least, tells us we are headed in the right direction, hm?” He said to the clone nearest him. Matches, his name was; Obi-Wan was fairly certain that the poor soul had been appointed Jedi liaison in Captain Rex’s absence.

“Your optimism is… inspiring, sir,” the trooper replied, chagrin obvious in his tone. Obi-Wan chuckled.

“I do believe this is actually one of the _calmest_ expeditions I’ve been a part of in years - so, not so much optimism as appreciation, I would say. That is, unless we’ve heard something from Ahsoka and the good Captain?” This last bit he directed Marco’s way. The clone shook his head mutely in response.

Obi-Wan shrugged expressively and carried on. He could hear the distinctive click of a holorecorder as one of the troopers documented the mural in passing.

After maybe a half-hour of walking, they reached another large, empty room, similar to the atrium of before. This one, however, only had one other exit, on the opposite side of the room. More water came through another crack in the wall, this time in a veritable waterfall. There was a drain in the center of the floor, slightly depressed - so it would seem that this water was more intentional? Or at least anticipated. He realized in a flash that they might be under the lake, or at least abutting it.

It had a vaulted ceiling in the style of the building above ground, this one inlaid with a mosaic of stones that, upon activation from the clone’s glowrods, began emitting their own faint light. Eventually it became enough to see by, and in a fit of curiosity, Obi-Wan motioned for his troops to put their light sources away.

The effect was beautiful - like the stars. “I wonder if they lived underground,” he said absently.

“Sir?” Matches asked, from just behind his elbow. Were it not for the Force, always monitoring everybody’s position in the room relative to him, he would’ve jumped.

“Just thinking aloud. The temple’s entrance being above-ground, in conjunction with the nomadic and plains-based nature of the natives that we’ve met thus far, led me to believe that anything of interest in these ruins would lay above the ground as well. This, however… I get the feeling that this room is - was - something special.”

“Well, clearly whoever constructed this place was prophetic in some capacity,” Matches replied. Another trooper drifted over. It took Obi-Wan a second longer than he might’ve liked to place _this_ one’s name - Basalt, he finally produced, a name the man had picked for himself due to his fascination with geography.

“Not necessarily,” Basalt interjected, after shooting hesitant look at Obi-Wan to make sure he wasn’t about to cut the General off. “The carvings could’ve been made after the fact. Sure, the placement of the handles on the doors is a little harder to explain if it wasn’t made with the General and Commander in mind, but I think we should be careful about oversimplifying.”

Obi-Wan smiled, trying to not look too delighted. One of the troopers had finally spoken up - argued with him, even! Finally they were starting to relax.

“An excellent point, Basalt. I quite agree - in situations like this, it is always important to be mindful of your unconscious biases. For the sake of thought, however, let’s explore that assumption: was this place made with our eventual presence in mind, or were we merely anticipated? What is the purpose of this room, in either case? Why the murals on the walls - to lead us onward? To where, if so? Is this very room even our intended destination - and towards what desired outcome has all of this taken place, if _whoever_ left those markings even had one?”

There was a ringing silence in response to his questions, though all of the troopers had stopped to listen to them. He didn’t take it personally - he had no idea where to even begin with this.

“To what intended outcome…” Basalt echoed meditatively, at length. “Yeah, maybe that’s what we should really be focusing on. Why _us_? We’re not even from this planet, so why us on the walls and not, I dunno, somebody from around here?”

Obi-Wan drummed his fingers on the hilt of his lightsaber in thought. “Well, the obvious answer to that is that there’s something we’re needed for, perhaps something that the locals wouldn’t otherwise be capable of. A matter of technology, perhaps - or, again, to default to the obvious, a matter of military strength.” He pursed his lips. “It might also have been a matter of distinctiveness - I confess to have some experience with visions, myself, though certainly not with this air of… mysticism, that we seem to have stumbled across here, and I can say that it is very difficult to keep a vision in your head in its entirety, once you’ve had it. They are like dreams in that regard. Perhaps whoever had the vision had many, and our group was just outlandish enough to stick in the mind after the vision itself passed.”

Matches nodded sanguinely. “Survivorship bias,” he said.

“Precisely,” Obi-Wan grinned. Oh, he quite liked this squad. He may have to see about stealing them for the 212th, before Anakin got his hooks into them. His former Padawan had an uncanny knack for inspiring loyalty in his men, without even really _doing_ anything.

“All the speculation doesn’t get us anywhere, though,” Marco said. He’d just come into the room; he’d been trailing behind, trying to get a better comm signal to check in on the other team.

“No, it doesn’t get us anywhere at the present. Perhaps in the future, however, it will behoove us to have already walked these mental paths, that we might interpret new evidence and arrive at better conclusions all the more quickly. Tell me, did you hear from the others?”

“Yes sir. They hit a dead end - though they did find another carving at the very end of it. It was an accurate depiction of their group as well. They’re heading back now.”

Marco was a man of few words, it would seem. Obi-Wan wondered, fleetingly, if that was a good or bad trait when acting as a communications officer - then dismissed the thought as entirely irrelevant.

“Mm,” he hummed in acknowledgement, “In that case we should probably wrap up our exploration of this section and rejoin them. Perhaps just a peek down the tunnel on the other side of this room - wouldn’t want to miss anything obvious - and then we can begin the trek back.” He drifted over even as he spoke.

A dead end, with another carving to cap it off. How intriguing. Also intentional? Also in alignment with some mysterious plan, plotted out ages ago for this very day?

Curiosity was practically gnawing at him.

This last tunnel looked no different than the others. He pulled out his lightsaber and ignited it.

This one seemed short, though. How odd - they had all been so straightforward up until this point, but was that an ending or a diversion, just ahead? Perhaps they’d hit their own dead end, and Obi-Wan was about to be greeted with yet another carving.

Perhaps.

“General?” One of the men called from the mouth of the tunnel. He turned. It was Marco - there was an edge of tension to the man’s voice and demeanor that hadn’t been there before. “We got another comm - something’s happened up top. I couldn’t quite make out the initial message, only Commander Tano’s response, so I don’t know exactly _what_ happened. The other squad is bypassing the rest of the tunnels and returning aboveground to check up on everybody.”

“Ah - very well. I suppose we should hurry back as well, then. What a shame,” he added lowly, tossing one last glance into the dark before hastening after the trooper. The rest of the men had clearly already heard, and were standing ready at the entrance - with a smile and a nod, Obi-Wan swept by. Matches took up a position at his side, and the group fell into line behind them.

Their return was swifter than their departure, as they were no longer keeping an eye on their surroundings for any mysterious clues, but hastening towards potential danger. It was still a trek; he could only hope that Ahsoka had been closer than they were, should the men above really be in urgent need of assistance.

Lost in thought as he was, he stumbled and nearly fell as the ground seemed to twist beneath him. He caught himself against the wall and turned back to the rest of the group, a sheepish apology already on his lips, when he realized that he hadn’t been the only one to stumble. He also realized that the wall was trembling.

Ahead of them, water was spreading on the tunnel floor. That must be the crevice that they’d passed initially - but water seemed to be pouring out of it more intensely than he remembered.

“An earthquake?” He asked, incredulous.

“It would seem that way, sir. That, or something a little less… random, perhaps,” Matches replied.

“We’re not close to any fault lines, and this planet isn’t known to experience much tectonic activity, anyways. That’s what makes it so great for the ionite mine,” Basalt chimed in, clearly uneasy.

The ground stopped shaking. The puddle spreading across the tunnel floor lapped against their feet, but went no further.

Obi-Wan waited for a moment, to see if this was a false cessation, but when no more tremors followed, gingerly removed his hand from the tunnel wall. “We should keep moving, in either case.”

Nobody disagreed.

They picked their way past the puddle and continued down the tunnel. Before long, they were back to the atrium.

Or at least, they ought’ve been.

Instead of the large, empty room of before, there was a large, raised pedestal in the center of the room, covered entirely by a thundering waterfall. The water pooled in a basin the floor, also inset; Obi-Wan imagined that there were yet more drains beneath. Six archways lined the perimeter of the room, not counting they one they’d emerged from - one archway was carved, and another marked with a clone’s glowrod, that they might not lose their way back to the surface.

“Oh dear.” Obi-Wan said. He was torn between delight and a deep sense of foreboding. “So this is… the room we started from, it would seem.” He had to raise his voice to be heard above the din.

One of the troopers he’d yet to talk to split off from the group and went to the marked tunnel. “Yes sir, this is definitely my glowstick. I scratched a little mark into all of my stuff, right here.” He gestured at the base of the tool, too far away for the Jedi to see what he was indicating. Marco also wandered over.

“Signal’s great here. Want me to try and contact our base aboveground again?”

“If you could, please.” He turned his attention back to the pedestal. “Corporal - is it just me, or do you also see something in the middle of that?”

“Sir?” Matches popped up beside him.

“I just - the Force is telling me there’s something at the center of that waterfall, atop that pedestal, but I can barely _see_ it.” He took a step closer to the edge of the pool, squinting.

“Could you use the Force to pull it here?” 

“An excellent point.” Obi-Wan lifted his hand, closed his eyes, and concentrated. But when he reached out with the Force, it - well, it slipped around the object. It was like nothing he’d ever felt before. He opened his eyes again. “ _Fascinating_ ,” he murmured. “It would seem that I _can’t_ actually pull it with the Force… but let me try and - “ He took another step forward into the pool. Matches took an anxious step forward as well, but stopped shy of actually touching the Jedi.

Obi-Wan could barely make out Marco saying something over the roar of the waterfall. He had to focus - he raised his hands and closed his eyes again, pulling the force together like a blade, like a wedge.

The waterfall parted before him. He was careful to angle it such that the water would remain within the confines of the pool - the spray still splashed his face. He opened his eyes and walked forward.

There were a few stone steps, slick with water and algae. They must have been submerged for a while - and for a moment confusion and curiosity overwhelmed him again, a need to _know_ just _what_ was going on here - but he shrugged it off and concentrated on the present. He placed his feet carefully as he moved.

At the top of the stairs, the pedestal. Atop the pedestal, a … cube. Or was it?

A delicate assortment of wires and rings, winding around each other to form something that _roughly_ resembled a cube - one that had somehow not been disturbed nor rusted by the tons of water still pounding down from overhead. Obi-Wan reached out, then hesitated, listening to the Force for some kind of warning, but there was none - well, nothing _dangerous,_ per sé, but a twinge of something... Other.

  
He shrugged. Holding the water back was starting to strain him. Gracefully he reached forward and plucked the object from its resting place.

Silence, and then another rumble.

The water started to ease. Something told him that was, in fact, a bad sign. He hopped from the steps back into the pool, and made his way back to the men. Matches’s expression was invisible under his armor, but anxiety roiled around him in the Force.

Obi-Wan clapped him on the shoulder. “Let’s get out of here, yes? Past experience has taught me to evacuate temples whenever you come across something particularly valuable within them. And this seems… valuable,” he said, shaking the object lightly. The rings chimed as they collided with each other.

“Right. Moving out!” Matches called to the group. He didn’t have to raise his voice; the water was barely a trickle at this point. The pool had yet to recede, though, Obi-Wan noticed; he waved everybody on ahead, despite the sense of foreboding growing in intensity. They hurried down the tunnel, and Obi-Wan brought up the rear, still clutching the artifact. He didn’t want to lose it in the shuffle.

His next step resulted in a splash, and he realized that water was starting to pool on the floor.

“As quickly as you can, men!” He called, rather unnecessarily - the clones broke out in a sprint, as light became visible at the end of the tunnel. The rappel cables were blessedly still in place, and he let the men begin to scramble up them as he turned back to peer into the darkness they’d left behind.

There was a sound of rushing water.

“Not to hurry you, men, but I believe things are about to get rather wet around here!” He called. It was level with his calves now; he wasn’t worried, now that they were no longer trapped in a tunnel, but he would prefer to be above-ground as soon as possible.

“Joining us, General?” Matches called. A few of them had already cleared the top.

He waved in lieu of a response, attached the artifact to his belt, then grabbed one of the now-available ropes. A few boosts of the Force allowed him to leap clear to the top. With a sigh he brushed off his robes, as more clones joined them.

“Well that was exciting,” he said with some humor. “I have to say, though, the threat of drowning is still pretty low on my ranking of dangerous temples.” 

“Sir, I was trying to tell you earlier, there’s been an incident,” Marco interjected, panting as he pulled himself up the rope and finally rolled onto solid ground. “They were saying something came out of the lake - “

Like fortune, like divine intervention, Obi-Wan opened his mouth to respond - and was cut off by the sound of a roar. He turned to the entrance, and realized that the noise he’d been hearing in the background was not just the sound of water, but also of battle. 

There was a gigantic, serpentine monster rearing out of the water. Blasterbolts winked as they collided with its twisting body; Obi-Wan could make out the twin green slashes of Ahsoka’s lightsabers as she Force-jumped towards it. The monster dodged impossibly quickly for something of its size and snapped at her in retribution. She twisted, tried to grab a hold onto its body but just ended up skidding along its coils. Rex shot a grappling hook towards her and she snatched at it, using the withdraw to sail back to shore and neatly avoid the murky water. Obi-Wan was already moving - he skidded to a stop next to the two of them just as her feet reconnected with the ground.

“What happened?” He asked.

“Master! So good of you to join us!” Ashoka grinned, fangs flashing in the sunlight. She seemed a little unsteady on her feet - Obi-Wan spared a second’s thought to wonder if she’d taken any head injuries.

But then, Rex hadn’t stopped her from fighting yet, and Obi-Wan trusted the Captain’s judgement. And authority - at least when it came to wrangling his two unruly Padawans.

“One of the men wandered too close to shore and got snatched. Happened too quick for them to do anything about it, from the sound of it, but another idiot went in the water after him. The thing took his leg - rest of the troopers managed to pull him out before it could rip off anything else.” Rex was shooting determinedly, aim impeccable as ever, but it didn’t seem to be doing much. None of the blasterfire did, and the thing was moving around too much for them to land shots on anything so vulnerable as its eyes or mouth.

“Did he survive?” Obi-Wan asked. His lightsaber was lit and in his hand, for all the use it would be. They watched as the lake monster lashed out at the troopers nearest the shore; they scattered quickly enough to evade it, thank the Force.

“Yes, we've got him stabilized in the transport. Honestly didn’t make it out here much quicker than you did - but now that your group’s joined us, we’re ready to clear out.”

“What, we’re just… _leaving_ this thing here?” Ahsoka said. She was bouncing on her toes, caught up in the battle-fueled adrenaline.

Obi-Wan snorted. “I agree with the Captain. It doesn’t seem like we’ve been able to do much damage at all - and why bother, if we can just retreat? It’s not like it’ll be able to follow.”

“We’ll need a distraction while we get everybody boarded, though. I don’t know what this thing’s range is, but something tells me it’s been holding out on us. Don’t wanna get snatched out of the sky.”

“Very well.” Obi-Wan eyed the serpent critically, then held out a hand. “Captain Rex, have you any long-range blasters?”

“For you, sir?” Rex raised an eyebrow, then reached behind him and unslung a rifle from his back. “Sure.”

Obi-Wan took it, trying not to wrinkle his nose at the clunkiness of the weapon. Judging from the amused slant to Rex’s mouth, he didn’t quite succeed.

“You’re going to shoot at it? But that hasn’t been working,” Ahsoka said. She was still bouncing, but less so. Rather, she seemed put out that they were turning tail. He needed to get her away from Anakin, one of these days, for a nice and quiet meditation session. Ahsoka had an impatient streak, and _Anakin_ certainly wasn’t going to be the person to help her with it.

“Ah, but I’m going to cheat, Padawan, and use the Force. That should help me some.”

“ _Some_ ,” he thought he heard Rex mutter sarcastically - but then the Captain was already walking away, barking out orders. Ahsoka stayed at his side, watching avidly as Obi-Wan familiarized himself with the weapon.

Flip the switch here, and that ought to activate it - flip the other switch to lock it on - twist this dial and the sights pop up, hesitate, reconsider, deactivate the sights and ground yourself in the Force, tap the trigger ever-so-slightly and appreciate the hum as the blaster warms up -

Old habits. He drummed his fingers one, twice, three times against the barrel and tried not to get lost in the past.

He was just stumbling down memory lane today, wasn’t he?

Ahsoka had stopped bouncing, at his side, but seemed more interested than ever. He’d bet a good few credits, if he had any, that this would all be coming up later. Anakin would probably be involved. He sighed, and lined up his shot.

It was as easy as anything - as making a jump, as hearing words that weren’t there, as knowing things he shouldn’t know, as lifting something without his hands. Look down the barrel, see without your eyes. Feel for the conjunction of time and space that would lead to your desired outcome. Pending, pending…

The monster _screamed_. A lone trooper stood on the shore - Basalt, Obi-Wan realized with a distant sense of surprise. One of his brothers had stumbled in the sand, and he'd run back to render aid. Easy prey. It drew back, ready to lunge, and Obi-Wan took the shot.

A flash of light, and its eye was obliterated from its head. It collapsed into the water, swamping the backs of Basalt and his fellow as they hastened away. Obi-Wan blinked and pulled back from the gun, considering it with a new level of respect.

“Rex doesn’t stint when it comes to his weapons, hm?” He said to Ahsoka, whose mouth had dropped open. After a beat, he shrugged. “It remains an uncivilized form of combat, I’m afraid to say.”

“I think I'm _more_ afraid to disagree with you - at least, while you’ve still got that blaster in your hands,” Rex drawled from behind them. Obi-Wan smiled and turned to the clone captain, putting his back to the lakeshore.

“I’m offended, Captain - I’m much more adept with a lightsaber.”

“Oh, don’t be. I have nothing but respect for your ability to handle a saber.” Rex said, then paused, and coughed.

Obi-Wan’s smile grew, and curled at the corners. He opened his mouth to reply - with what, he couldn’t guess - but Ahsoka finally got over her surprise and shattered the moment.

“Master!” She exclaimed, grabbing him by the shoulders and shaking him a bit. “That was so _cool_!”

“Yes, well,” he said, laughing as he handed the blaster back to Rex. “I aim to please.”

He carefully unclipped the artifact from his belt. It drew his companions’ attention.

“Is that what was holding your team up?” Rex asked.

“Yes, though I confess if I knew the situation up here, I might not have retrieved it. Oh, speaking of which, there’s a situation in the tem-ple…” He stuttered and trailed off as he turned to the temple doors, which had been left wide open, and realized that water was streaming out of them, running down the magnificent steps and into the lake.

“You don’t say,” Ahsoka remarked dryly. Curse his past self for teaching her sarcasm.

“Well, not like we were going back anyways - not with this _thing_ in the lake taking potshots at us while we’re out here. Speaking of which, ready to go? Men should be loaded up by now.” Rex gestured over his shoulder at the transport, where surely enough, the ever-efficient troopers were packing away the last of their temporary base. 

“Ah, by all means.” Obi-Wan bowed (a _little_ teasingly, just a tad) to the Captain, letting him lead on.

“Master, have you examined that, yet? May I?” Ahsoka asked, a hand already outstretched as she stepped closer. Obi-Wan shook his head and pulled away. 

“No, I haven't,” he said, slowly starting to follow the Captain as he talked. Ahsoka kept pace at his side. “But there was some strange kind of - well, I don’t want to say magic, but _something_ felt strange about it, when I first tried to pick it up. It wouldn’t be moved by the Force, either.

“ _You’re_ holding it,” Ahsoka pointed out, clearly trying to sound rational rather than petulant.

“Yes, but _my_ gloves have fingers,” he said, and chuckled when the Padawan glanced down at her hands in surprise. She blushed. “So my hands aren’t coming into direct contact with the artifact. I don’t particularly want to see what this thing might do when exposed to skin, quite yet. Perhaps nothing at all! But all the same, I would prefer to reserve the experimentation for safer climes.”

“Right, of course,” Ahsoka said, unable to help herself from shooting one last curious glance at the mystery object as they drew level with the transport.

“Ready to set off, Captain?” He directed to Rex, who nodded.

“Just waiting on you two, General.”

“Very well.” He helped Ahsoka into the transport, fully intending to climb in after her, when -

They both stiffened. He shoved himself away, pushing her further into the transport at the same time. She yelled his name.

A blur rocketed out of the water, radiating hate and malice into the Force. Its one good eye was fixated on Obi-Wan and blessedly not the transport. He made to dodge; there was the whine of blasterfire, and a piercing scream as an incredibly well-placed bolt took out that very eye. Unfortunately, this time, the thing was already out of the water - and momentum still had it barreling Obi-Wan’s way. What would’ve been a perfect dodge now put Obi-Wan in the way of its pained flailing - the serpent’s body broadsided him and knocked him high into the air. 

Writhing, the thing managed to pull itself back into the water, leaving a smeared trail of black blood on the grass in its wake.

Ahsoka was already back out of the transport. Rex was just lowering the blaster from his shoulder, having lined up a second shot in case the first wasn’t adequate enough deterrent. 

They both saw Obi-Wan hit the ground, arms braced in proper form to protect his head. From this distance, they couldn’t make out the glint of gold in his hand as it collided with his face - but they _could_ see moments later, when there was a flash of light, a bang, and suddenly - Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi was gone. His robes collapsed in on themselves.

“Master!” Ahsoka screamed, and slipped in the water and blood as she ran to him. She scrambled back up, barely feel the sting of her scraped knees and hands - Rex was already there. She skidded to a halt at his side as he grabbed at the robes.

He inhaled sharply. She looked up, expecting there to be another monster about to eat them, but there was nothing. She looked back down, and gasped herself.

There was a human baby half-hidden in the folds of fabric. It had pale skin, blue eyes, and red hair - and a shiny mass of wires and rings was clutched in its chubby little hand.

Ahsoka had a sinking feeling that she knew _exactly_ what had happened to Master Kenobi.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> what a long-ass chapter, oh my _Lord_. obi wan, why you gotta wear gloves, dude?
> 
> i said this obliquely last chapter, but i realized after the fact that i was never actually explicit in my explanation - i had roughly 15k words of this fic already written when i published the first chapter a few days ago, in scattered scenes that i wrote for fun. my intention now is to bridge those all together into a coherent fic. I have a sinking feeling that the bridging will make up more of the fic than the pre-written scenes though - if this chapter is any indication. 
> 
> :[
> 
> ok, im gonna go lie down lol. hope y'all enjoyed this - think i'm going to be alternating between this and my other WIP, Meritocracy, for the time being. should be interesting :p


	3. AGE 1

General Skywalker did not take the news well.

They’d commed ahead to let camp know something had happened, but remained intentionally vague as to the details. Rex issued a general threat for everybody in the transport to keep their karking mouths _shut_ , or they would _all_ be dealing with much worse than just additional cleaning duty. Obi-Wan’s little exploratory squad had been nodding along as he’d done so, faces set and determined. Figures that the General’d picked up more devotees, just in the hour or so they’d been exploring. Typical.

That made his chest hurt, for some reason, while in Ahsoka’s arms the baby twisted in its sleep.

So yeah, when they touched down and General Kenobi wasn’t immediately visible from his position near the landing pad, General Skywalker’s expression grew dark. When Ahsoka hurried over to him and Skywalker realized that there was a baby bundled up in Obi-Wan’s brown robes, cradled in her arms, confusion and trepidation took its place.

“Ahsoka, why is there…” He stopped and grew pale. Probably sensed the baby’s Force signature or something - Rex didn’t know how this shit worked, but a while on the job had taught him to blame the Force for most everything, and the majority of the time, you’d be right.

“Obi-Wan?” Skywalker whispered. He made eye contact with Rex, over the top of Ahsoka’s head.

“Let’s get inside,” was all Rex said in reply. The Jedi nodded and made their way into the command tent. He turned - there was a trooper hovering a respectful distance away. No, a Corporal - Matches, if he remembered correctly, who’d been assigned to Obi-Wan’s squad. Potentially useful.

“Go to communications and tell them to get Cody back down here, _immediately_. Top priority, secret, I said so. If they ask you anything else, _especially_ about the mission, keep your damn mouth _shut_. Report back afterwards.” 

“Yessir!” Matches snapped a salute and hurried off. Normally, Rex would appreciate the efficiency. Today, he just sighed, and followed the Jedi into the tent.

General Skywalker was very clearly trying not to yell, though which child he was restraining himself for, Rex couldn’t say. That went out the door as Rex stepped inside.

“Rex, what the _fuck_?” Anakin demanded. Rex sighed again, and collapsed into a chair without asking permission. A migraine was beginning to bloom in his head - he rubbed at his temple. Not like he could excuse himself to go grab painkillers, at the moment.

“I don’t know, sir,” was all he had to offer in reply. And he really didn’t know. He _profoundly_ did not know what was going on. He unclipped a pouch from his belt and placed it on the table, undoing the latch and gently tipping it so that the artifact inside spilled out. It caught Anakin’s attention, and sidetracked the rant he’d been surely about to give.

“And what is that?”

“It’s the artifact that Master Obi-Wan had, when he… well, you know,” Ahsoka chimed in, voice deliberately lowered so as not to disturb the sleeping baby. She shifted his weight uncomfortably, arms starting to strain but wholly reluctant to set him down. Anakin moved closer, making as if to help her, but stopped when she shook her head at him. Trying to not show his hurt, he tapped his fingers on the table and carried on with his interrogation.

“So that’s probably what caused it, right? Do we know anything about it?”

“Negative. Neither of us were with him when he retrieved it, and there wasn’t much time to talk during the attack. There was a group of soldiers with him - one’s running a message for me, he’ll be back momentarily - but I would be dead surprised if they know anything more than we do. The General himself said he hadn’t had any time to examine it.”

“So we’ve got no intel, and the High General of the Grand Army of the Republic is now a baby. That’s just great,” Anakin heaved a sigh and collapsed into a chair, burying his head in his hands. “Yoda and Mace are gonna kill me,” he added, voice extremely muffled.

“I’m sure they won’t blame you,” Ahsoka began, but was cut off as a newcomer pushed their way into the tent.

“Perhaps I can be of aid - I heard that something went wrong on the mission to the temple, yes?” Leader Corva’wynn stepped in, short stature allowing her to not have to bend under the flap as they others had, but only narrowly avoiding catching her horns on the fabric.

Anakin moved to block her view. “Leader Wynn, I apologize, but I already explained to you that Senator Amidala won’t be available for negotiations until tomorrow - her ship is receiving repairs. The mission to the temple is an _internal_ matter, and we’re handling it accordingly. Thank you for your offer of assistance,” he tacked on the last bit somewhat grudgingly.

She arched an eyebrow at him. It was surprisingly intimidating. “My name is Leader _Corva_ ’wynn, Jedi Skywalker. Do not modify it. And hm - have it all handled, do you? Where might your General Kenobi be - gone missing?” He winced, and she leaned around him, winking at Ahsoka before catching sight of the bundle in her arms, then glancing at the device on the table. Her second eyebrow flew up to join the first.

“Yes, your General Kenobi has gone missing, and yet there is a human baby in his place! How strange, hm? How coincidental.”

There was a beat of silence as Anakin processed. “You were the one who directed Obi-Wan towards the temple in the first place.”

“Has that realization finally dawned upon you? Congratulations.” She made as if to pat him on the head, but lacking the necessary height to reach it, settled for his shoulder. She then stepped around him entirely, moving to stand beside Ahsoka and get a better look at the baby. 

Anakin capitulated to the relentless self-assurance of the elderly.

“Hm, this will not do, will it? These robes have acted as a good intermediary measure, my dear, but you need something more suitable. I will ask some of my people to bring clothes and utilities - with the soul of discretion, of course,” she added as Anakin opened his mouth. He took a seat and folded his arms grumpily as she took off again, easily as that.

“Oh excuse me, young man,” Corva’wynn said as she departed, to somebody just outside the tent. A moment later, a trooper stuck his head in.

“Sorry to interrupt, uh, sirs, but I was told to report back?”

“Corporal, perfect.” Rex gestured the soldier in, and he came to stand at the head of the table, shifting uncomfortably. Rex could almost sympathize - the atmosphere in the tent was not a comfortable one. “You were with General Kenobi when he collected the artifact, correct?”

“Yessir. We were heading back to the original entry point when there was a rumbling…”

And so Rex successfully passed the brunt of his interrogation off to an inferior officer, in the manner of all the most masterful managers.

-

Corva’wynn returned before Matches finished his recounting, and quietly took a seat next to Ahsoka as they all listened to it. The clone had taken out a holoprojector to illustrate with some of the holos they’d taken. Corva’wynn’s eyes lit up as the holo flickered into existence, and she leaned in to examine the image more closely.

“And thats all that happened? Just some empty rooms, and then all of a sudden the entryway was different as you came back? You didn’t press any buttons, or anything?” Anakin asked. His expression was still set in hard lines - they deepened further as two of Corva’wynn’s people interrupted the meeting, carrying a crib between them and depositing it in the corner at the Leader’s nod - but this time, he kept his mouth shut. 

“Unless General Kenobi happened upon something and didn’t mention it, that’s it, sir. I wish I could tell you more,” the clone shrugged helplessly. One of locals stopped by Corva’wynn’s chair as they left and pressed a bundle into her hands, with a few murmured words. She nodded and smiled, and they departed.

“You’ve been plenty helpful, soldier,” Anakin deliberately gentled his tone and the clone relaxed a little. “Thank you. You’re dismissed - unless, Rex, do you need to…?” 

The captain shook his head. “Don’t go disappearing, Corporal - we might need you later. For the time being, though, go and get some food. Rest up.”

“Yessir!” Corporal Matches snapped a salute and quickly left. Anakin couldn’t quite blame him.

Momentary silence filled the tent as they processed what they’d been told.

“Well, if we’re lacking intel, then we should send a party back to examine the temple. Maybe there’s something there that can tell us - “

Rex was already shaking his head. “Temple’s flooded. We’d need special underwater gear, which we didn’t _bring_ , given the whole plains thing.”

“We can requisition some,” Anakin retorted impatiently.

Rex opened his mouth to respond, still not looking convinced, but Corva’wynn interjected before he could say anything.

“I wouldn’t do that,” she said calmly. 

Silence reigned in the tent.

“Why not,” Anakin asked, teeth gritted.

“You said that you dealt with some kind of monster in the lake, yes? Some kind of leviathan? And if you look at the holograms that your troopers took of the doors, you might notice,” she leaned forward, waving her hand to pull up the holo in question. A miniature Obi-Wan’s back was blocking part of the image, but you could still make out what she was indicating - a carved leviathan, beneath representative waters.

“Is that what you fought, soldier?” She asked Rex.

“Yes.” Rex seemed unsurprised and unamused. Anakin vaguely wondered who wanted to get off this stinking planet more - himself, Obi-Wan, or Rex. He had a feeling it was probably the Captain, despite the countless hours of meetings the Jedi had been forced to sit through.

Corva’wynn hummed to herself. “As I thought. Tell me, Sir Jedi, did you ever stop to wonder why my people eke out a nomadic existence in the plains, when there are abundant oceans and forests to feed and supply us?” She paused for a response, but didn’t really seem to be expecting one. “Our planet,” she continued, “has multitudinous tunnels and channels running beneath the surface, underground rivers that move through its very core. And the kings of those dark places are the leviathans. They rule the lakes, the rivers, the oceans. And then of course, amidst their ranks, the strong rule the weak.” She tipped her head to the side. “From the sound of it, the one you fought earlier today was one of the smaller ones. A juvenile. They are the only ones with the energy and maneuverability to bother with the mountain lakes - which of course, makes them all the more hungry and aggressive when they reach those places.”

“One of the _smaller_ ones?” Rex muttered at Anakin’s side.

“Alright,” Anakin said slowly as he processed. “How does this relate to the temple, though? If we land far away from the lake and approach on foot, then we should be out of striking range…” He trailed off as Corva’wynn shook her head.

“Again, little Jedi. What condition is the temple now in?”

“It’s full of - water…” Realization struck him and the rest of the table at the same time. 

Rex sighed.

“Alright, so we can’t explore the temple. Is there anything else we can do? Is there anything - you,” Anakin rallied as he turned to Corva’wynn, “You must know something more about all of this.”

“Something?” Corva’wynn tipped her head to the side and blinked. “Well, I know plenty of somethings.”

“Do you know something that could _help_ us?”

“Do you know _manners_?” Corva’wynn leaned back in her chair and folded her arms, eyebrows coming together like a fuzzy grey caterpillar. “At least your Master Kenobi _pretended_ to enjoy speaking with me. You seem a second away from violence, even as I aid you. So yes, I might know something to help you, and your Master Kenobi, and your men and Republic. The question you should be asking, Skywalker, is if you can unbend your spine enough to ask me - or if you will let fear continue to rule your behaviors.”

Anakin grimaced and opened his mouth to respond, then paused as the content of her words registered to him. “I am _not_ afraid,” he rebutted instead, strange catch to his tone. Rex glanced at him.

“We need your help, Leader - please,” Ahsoka interjected quietly, before either party could carry on. She shifted the baby in her arms again; it yawned, then stirred, moving to a presumeably more comfortable position.

“Yes, you do. Here,” Corva’wynn held out her arms. Ahsoka hesitated, but after also shooting a glance at Anakin, handed Obi-Wan over. Corva’wynn took him easily, clearly experienced with handling children, in a way that nobody else in the tent was. She stood and walked over to the cradle, depositing him inside and opening the package her subordinate had given her. Inside was baby clothes; she changed him quickly and deftly before swaddling him in a blanket once more.

That done, she resumed her seat at the table. 

“There. Now he should not be disturbed by our conversation.”

Anakin tried again. “Leader Corva’wynn,”

“Yes, that is my proper title.”

Deep breath, through the nose, like Obi-Wan taught him. Let the frustration simmer down. “Leader Corva’wynn, we’ve encountered a great many things on your planet that we know nothing about. Can you help us? Can you fix what’s happened to Obi-Wan - or even just tell us about the temple? About this… thing?” He gestured to the artifact.

The elder considered him for a moment, long, claw-like finger tapping against her lip. “I believe that it was once used for marriages,” she eventually chirped, an unsettling, slanted smile stretching across her face once more. The walls of the tent shuddered as the prairie wind gusted around them.

“We are only granted the length of our lives, Knight Skywalker,” she plucked up the artifact; Ahsoka and Rex both jerked forward, too late to stop her, but - nothing happened. The artifact sat dully in her hand. “And when you meet your - ah, we call it _raking’tka_ , I believe the closest term in Basic would be soulmate - by the time one meets a soulmate, they have likely already passed through a good portion of their lives. How can you truly know somebody, when your paths have stayed apart? Most bonds can manage, but… our ancestors preferred an alternative.” She shook the artifact at him; the rings jingled together quietly.

“Typically, those seeking to be wed would be in contact with each other, as they touched the _Kirings’tka_ \- the _Path of the Heart_ , that is what I believe this object is - together. Thus, the effects would be dispersed. If Master Kenobi had been touching you, for example,” she set the artifact down and took his hand. “And _then_ made contact with the _Kirings’tka_ ,” she reached out to touch the artifact, then glared until he did as well, “you would be linked together in your journey through lifetimes.”

She dropped his hand and stepped away, and Anakin tried not to seem too relieved.

“So if I had been touching Obi-Wan when all this happened, it would’ve happened to me, too?”

Her mouth twisted down consideringly. “It should be better if you _both_ make contact, but yes. The experience is not meant to be a prison of the mind; perhaps more like a sustained illusion, or implementation of memory. Typically those seeking to be wed retain some awareness of the present throughout their time in journey - so that they may contemplate and communicate, understand their chosen all the better. I suspect that you cannot reach your Master Kenobi because he is alone in this, as he was alone when he touched it.”

Anakin frowned at the thought. “How do I break him out of it?”

The shaman frowned back, exaggeratedly. “I am sure that I cannot tell you. It is, after all, very ancient. Once thought lost to us.”

“Cannot tell me, or _will_ not?” The woman’s twisty way of speaking was straining his already-thin patience. He resisted the urge to raise his voice, reach for his lightsaber - it was difficult to keep his patience without Obi-Wan to check him. Hell, it was difficult to keep his patience when Obi-Wan was an _infant_ sleeping just across from him, weak and defenseless and… small.

Not at all like the man he knew.

The frown flipped abruptly, into a grin that threatened to split her face in half. “He _does_ know how to work his words - what a clever boy! Well raised - I would much like to pay my compliments to your General, I think, when his journey is over! But yes, no, I will not tell you. Not,” she waved a hand placatingly as he jerked to his feet, “because I am unsympathetic to your plight, but quite the opposite - I cannot guarantee that any methods I produce will not break his mind.”

There was a moment of tense silence.

“It is a delicate thing,” she said quietly, as her gaze drifted to the still bundle in the cradle. “This process. It was meant to be a sacred time, secret and hidden, the travelers well-guarded and well-loved. But we have not had the Path of the Heart for some time, and I worry…” she looked at him cautiously, and he dropped back into his chair. She rose and moved to Obi-Wan. “I worry that the dangers of interfering might outweigh the potential benefits, were I to act.” She ran a hand over the baby’s smooth head; he grumbled in his sleep. It brought a soft smile to her weathered face. 

Then she turned to Anakin. “A day for a year, the stories say: for every sleep-cycle that passes, your Obi-Wan will grow a year. He should sleep heavily for the first few days, as the entirety of the strain of the ritual has been placed upon his body, rather than shared. I would encourage you to spend the next cycle or two in the village, while he is still so fragile. Within a week, you will be able to better protect him on your cruiser; within two he should be able to protect himself. Is this acceptable to you?” 

Anakin thought it over, and his mouth twisted. “Do we have a choice?”

She laughed, but there was no humor to it. “There is always a choice, Knight Skywalker. So many choices before me now, before you - even before your Obi-Wan. Your question is, what is my _best_ choice, and that,” she wagged a finger in his face, “is a question you must consider most carefully.”

Anakin stared back at her, unimpressed, but she seemed to have said her piece. She hummed as she gathered up her things, and offered them no farewell as she departed; which was fair, honestly, as it was _her_ village. They probably owed _her_ the obeisance, but he was absolutely not in the mood.

“Well. I guess we just… wait until the morning, then, and see if anything changes?” Ahsoka eventually said into the silence that followed.

Anakin shrugged “I mean, I _guess_. Couldn’t just give us a straightforward answer - _no_ , it’s all gotta be half-truths and allusions. Force, she drives me up the wall - not that people at the Temple are much better, but at least I can be rude to them without having to worry about causing some _diplomatic incident_.” Anakin walked over to the cradle and picked up the bundle inside - the baby version of Obi-Wan blinked and grumpily rubbed at his face in response to the disturbance. Anakin deliberately quieted and modulated his voice.

“I’ll take Obi-Wan with me for now. Don’t really trust anywhere else to be safe for him, not in this state.”

“We can post guards outside your tent,” Rex offered, also quietly.

“Ah - actually, maybe don’t. I’d like to keep this as quiet as we can. People are already going to talk about Obi-Wan being missing - having a guard outside my tent when there usually isn’t one will only add fuel to the fire.”

“I’m in the tent next door anyways, Rexer. We’ve got this.” Ahsoka stood and leaned over, smiling. “I know this is really awful, and all, but you’ve gotta admit - he makes for a very cute baby.”

Anakin scoffed. “Obi-Wan has never been, and will never be, _cute_.”

Ahsoka and Rex gave Anakin matching incredulous looks. He folded.

“Alright, yeah, he’s adorable. Don’t ever tell him I said that.”

“I will keep your secrets until the day I die,” Ahsoka intoned solemnly, then broke the facade with a laugh. With a wave, she strolled from the tent. 

Rex followed her to the door, then paused and turned to Anakin. “You’re sure there isn’t anything you want me to do?”

“Well, you can make sure there’s not a crowd of soldiers with too much time on their hands loitering outside. The less eyes on us, the better.”

“Right.” Rex departed, and Anakin heard him barking out reprimands as the concentrated Force presence of clones milling about the command tent rapidly dispersed. He sighed and leaned against the table as he waited for it to end.

“I was trying to keep it together for Rex and Ahsoka’s sake, Master - how do you think I did?”

No response beyond a slow blink. He chuckled. “Yeah, if you were an adult right now you’d probably be reading me the riot act on every little way I screwed up this meeting. That’s a silver lining, I guess.”

A little yawn. He watched it, and some strange distress came over him.

“I don’t know what I’m going to do if you’re stuck like this, Master. I just - don’t like this. At all. I mean, of course I don’t like it, that’s obvious, but - we’ve got so many enemies, between the two of us, and if they hear you’ve been turned into a baby they’ll be on us like rathtars smelling blood. And we’re days away from Coruscant.”

In his arms, the baby twisted and resettled into sleep - clearly unperturbed by his plight. He sighed, but smiled.

“Yeah. We’ll get it figured out.”

He felt for his bond to Obi-Wan in the Force, and was reassured that it, at the very least, remained unchanged.

-

Most people in the GAR, short of the vaunted Jedi, did not have sufficient sway to pull a transport out of the delicate ebb and flow of resource shuttling conducted between the great Star Cruisers in the sky and the camp they’d set up planetside. Marshal Commander Cody was not one of those people - and found himself forced to abuse the privilege more often than he’d like.

This was one of those times.

“You’re sure you don’t know what’s happened?”

“I already told you, Admiral, Rex only said that I’m needed back immediately. He wouldn’t call for me and remain so vague unless it’s truly important, so I will be going down. I’ll be back before daycycle ends.”

“Well I should hope so - I think our Jedi must’ve done something to anger Coruscant, as I swear, for every bit of paperwork I get squared away, the bureaucrats request two more pieces in its place. I’m afraid I’ll be quite swamped without you _or_ the Generals to aid me.”

Cody waved a hand as he stepped onto the transport. “I’ll comm you once I’m planetside and figure out what’s going on. With any luck, it won’t be too big of a deal. Though I will say - it’s been a while since the Generals got themselves into any trouble, so I’ve got a bad feeling about this.”

“Oh, don’t say that. Now you’ve jinxed it.” Admiral Yularen pressed a knuckle to his lips and whispered something as the blast doors closed and he walked away. Cody raised his eyebrows - he hadn’t known the Admiral was a religious man - but felt the strange impulse to pray, himself, as the deck of the Star Cruiser dropped away and the dark bulk of the planet swelled to life before the ship’s viewfinder.

When they finally landed it was the dead of night, and Rex was waiting patiently, padside. His face looked wholly neutral and composed, not even flickering as he caught sight of Cody, and the feeling of dread in the pit of Cody’s stomach only grew.

“What happened?” Cody cut to the chase as Rex approached him. The other clone only tipped his head and tapped his thigh, their signal for ‘not here’, and Cody dipped his head in acquiescence as they set off into the campsite.

-

Anakin woke to the soft click of a holo being taken. He opened his eyes blearily - Padmé was crouching next to his bed, smiling softly down at an image on her datapad. He made an inquisitive noise, and she jerked her gaze back up to him, quickly hiding the 'pad behind her back.

Morning light spilled in through the tent opening - the repairs on her ship must've finally been completed. For a moment he thought to ask about why she was acting so weird; but that thought that was swiftly drowned out by love for his wife.

“Padmé,” he murmured, and leaned forward for a kiss as best he could, without jostling the sleeping Obi-Wan.

“Good morning, sunshine.” She said, and kissed him, sweet and soft. He crooked a grin as she pulled away. “Leader Corva’wynn told me what happened.”

“Oh did she, now?” He raised an eyebrow sardonically. “Good to know that she’s got some idea of what’s going on, because I certainly don’t.”

“She said she talked to you?”

“Well sure, we _talked_ ,” he rolled his eyes, then checked himself as Obi-Wan shifted. “But getting any real information from her is like trying to get it out of Yoda. ‘An exercise in futility,’ Obi-Wan always says.” He mimicked his Master’s lilting Coruscanti accent - then dropped the facade as fresh loss swept over him.

“Oh, Ani,” Padmé sighed, and kicked off her shoes to join him on the bed. He gratefully curled an arm around her.

“Corva’wynn explained all the … weirdness?”

“Yes, though I don’t completely understand what she was telling me. Obi-Wan was turned into a baby?” She craned her head up to look at his expression - which then caused her to twist, to better look at the baby on his chest. 

“Wow,” she said at length. Anakin snorted.

“Wow,” he agreed.

“But it’s not a permanent thing? Corva’wynn said - “

“Yeah, I know, but I didn’t really get it either. I’m going to try and corner her today and finally get some straight answers. Maybe we can tag-team it - if you have the time amidst negotiations, of course.” He added hastily.

“Well, they need me back on Coruscant as soon as possible, so I was hoping to close up the talks today - but these are some strange circumstances, so I'll see about rearranging my schedule,” she gave him a peck, sitting up and swinging her legs to the floor. “Anything to help my favorite pair of Jedi.”

“But me especially, right?” He shot her a crooked grin - the one that usually resulted in them stumbling for the bedroom. She shoved at him playfully, but smiled back all the same. 

“Whatever suits your ego, Knight Skywalker.”

“Why, Senator Amidala - such harsh words!”

“Did I hurt your feelings?” She asked, eyes round with faked innocence. “Oh, I’m so sorry. Perhaps I should make it up to you.”

“Perhaps you should,” Anakin murmured, leaning in.

She closed her eyes, and his lips had just brushed against hers, when the baby cradled in his arms turned abruptly into a toddler.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Phew. Sorry if there's any typos in this one, I've been editing it into coherency for like, the last three days, and can't stand to look at it any longer.
> 
> Chapters should be shorter from here on out, but hopefully I'll be able to put them out more frequently. And soon Obi-Wan will be able to talk again! That'll be good - though I'm sure baby-wan will be sorely missed. :)


End file.
